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tv   The Daily Rundown  MSNBC  January 10, 2013 6:00am-7:00am PST

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>> well, i learninged, along with what governor rendell mentioned, we should pay attention and listen to what people and erskine bowles are saying. the idea that every dollar, once you taken titlement spending out, every dollar we have to put forward and have to borrow as a nation, shocking. >> every dime we spend in washington, d.c., on edge indication, we borrow from china, on defense we borrow from china. on infrastructure, we borrow -- from -- everything that entitlements -- it is dangerous. what did you learn? >> i'm going stay on the erskine bowles topic and agree we are the bickermans. >> bickersons. >> you are too young. >> all right. very good. >> you are kids. >> i learned, once again, speak less. listen more. >> what time is it? >> i will tell what you time it is. >> what time is it? >> it is time for "morning joe." it was time for "morning joe"
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but right now it is time for chuck todd and "the daily run-down." >> president obama makes his pick for the top spot at treasury. is jack lew ready for a full-blown fight over the debt ceiling in his first month on the job? pocket change. you heard about this idea. the trillion dollar coin to handle the debt ceiling. well, today we will tell you where it all started and whether or not it is really something president obama might use. they won't rule it out important some reason. and back to the future. the gun debate of 1994 had many lessons for the fight unfolding today. what can president obama learn from president clinton's success? good morning from washington. thursday, january 10, 2013. this is "the daily run-down." i'm chuck todd. let's get to my first read of the morning. this afternoon president obama will formally name his chief of staff, jack lew, to replace treasury secretary tim geithner.
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a sign the white house expects a big fight over the federal budget lew is the safe pick. he has been confirmed twice by the senate before. just in this administration. if confirmed in time, he can face his first test next month over the debt ceiling. lew is a walk among walks. described in one profile by the huffington post. quote, as harry potter grew up and replaced his magic wand with excel spread sheets. if confirmed lew will be the highest ranking orthodox you don't in government. he grew up in queens. brings his own lunch to work. chose sandwich and an apple which he eats at his desk and still commutes back and forth to new york. catching a train home every friday to spend weekends with his wife. he is well liked in the white house. the p came to depend to the act not many people in washington know the budgeting process. >> jack's economic advice has been invaluable and he has my complete trust both because of his mastery of the numbers but
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because of the values behind those numbers. >> lew is a progressive whose interests in politics began when he worked for senator eugene mccarthy's presidential campaign in 1968. pretty exciting for a welfare-year-old, he once told "the new york times." the late minnesota senator wallstone was his faculty advise wror. carlton college. wellstone got lew a job working for new york congresswoman abzook and came to washington in 1973. lew is known for quietly being able on get a deal done. he has been negotiating budget compromises since the '80s when he worked as the chief domestic policy aide to then house speaker tip o'neill. he was on hand important the budget stand-offs of the '90s. first as president clinton's deputy budget chief. then as his budget director when he left the federal budget with a surplus as the white house loves to point out. >> i remember very fondly my last testimony as director and
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the last day i was in office and had a chart that projected a surplus of $5.6 trillion over the next ten years. how far away that seems. and -- that's what we are going to be talking about today. how we can turn the tide. >> though he worked at would divisions of citigroup during the onset of the economic crisis from 2006 to 2009, he's not viewed as a wall street pick per se. he came back into government to manage the state department's international economic policy portfolio early in the obama ad minute. that was senate confirmation. named budget director making him a key negotiator during the 2010 debt talks. that left some republican was the sour tath about jack lew. in his book, bob woodward quotes saying brett loper in particular, found lew obnoxious. the budget director was doing 75% of the talking, lecturing everyone. not only about what obama's
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policy was but also why it was superior to the republicans'. barry jackson, former chief of staff, found lew's tone disrespectful and dismissive. lew is not likely to get any serious opposition. few senate republicans like jeff sessions aren't exactly saying celebratory things. according to fox news sessions has a prepared statement out that says, quote, jack lew must never be secretary of treasury. his testimony before the senate budget committee less than two years ago was so outrageous and false that it alone disqualifies him. jeff sessions is sort of alone on that front. one more thing to remember. secretary geithner would have -- would stay, president wouldn't be replacing geithner. if there is a cabinet secretary that the president knew the least but ended up becoming very close to, it has been geithner. lew is the second white house chief of staff to go to treasury. the first was, of course, jim baker during the reagan administration and his second term in 1985. there are two candidates for lew's job. deputy national security advi r
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adviser. and ron klain. more political experience in washington. he helped run debate prep important the president this last go-around. president chooses mcdonough, could be about personal familiarity. also yesterday labor secretary solis, first latina to serve in a cabinet announced she is stepping down. though expected her departure compounds this white house perceived white house diversity problem. that was splashed on the front page of yesterday's "new york times." though the white house quickly broadcast that hhh secretary sibila, and shinseki and eric holder, it didn't announce what's happening with the other cab they secretaries. stream of nominations of white men to keep posts so far. "the new york times" photo showing the president surrounded by all male adviser is an economic team mostly men.
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valerie jarrett. apparently in the room as "the new york times" noted. had you to find her leg there. ruth marcus to editorialize this morning, quote, obama needs some binders of women. playing off the famous line from mitt romney in one of the debates. yesterday press secretary jay carney defended the administration, clearly had statistics at hand. >> napolitano, cabinet level position, u.n. ambassador, u.s. ambassador of the united nations susan rice. you know, again, i can go through the list. this president has appointed -- made two appointments to the supreme court. both of them women. and i think that his commitment to -- >> do you think it is unfir charge? >> i think the record speaks for itself. >> one thing, though, just have to wonder some of our -- wondered aloud why there hadn't been a second-term transition
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director that said hey, you are about nominate five white men in a row, do you want to come up -- do some of your other appointment first? sprinkle it in, show diversity of appointments. it just seems that the -- this has been a little bit mismanaged or hole plugging in, if you will. lot of this has to do, yes, with all of the attention on the fiscal cliff. but clearly, this all -- this part of it has been dropped to what is probably for the white house communications office an annoying story to deal with. moving on, today vice president's task force on gun violence has a full day of meetings scheduled with hunters, gun owners and members of the video game and entertainment industry. of course, the showdown everyone is watch sing this afternoon's meeting which will include the nra. during the meeting yesterday with victims of gun violence and gun safety groups, biden said the president was ready to get gun reform done with or without the help of congress. >> i want it clear to the
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american public that on behalf of the president we are reaching out to all parties on whatever side this falls. the president is going to act. executive orders, executive action that can be taken. we haven't decided what that is yet. >> inning choice of words there. those words. executive action. though perhaps also intended to contain expectations for advocates hoping for some sort of sweeping legislative change. it set off a firestorm in the gun rights community. south carolina congressman jeff duncan said this in a statement after hearing that quote. the founding fathers never envisioned executive orders being used to restrict our constitutional rights. we live in a republic, not a dictatorship. the drudge report put up a picture of hitler and stalin. my time you use hitler you are losing. rush lump ball warned listeners they are planning a gun grab. conference of mayors announced biden will keynote the annual
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winter meeting on january 17. possible forum for announcement of his task force recommendations. in connecticut, at his state of the state address in hartford, governor dan malloy choked up when he was paying tribute to the victims of newtown. >> teachers and a therapist that sacrificed their lives protecting students, brave connecticut state troopers, newtown's local law enforcement and firemen and others that responded courageously when called upon. sorry. swipe at the nra. malloy added this. >> let me be clear, freedom is not a handgun on the hip of every teacher and security should not mean a guard posted outside of every classroom. >> finally, speaking of those state of the state addresses, as we noted yesterday, they are becoming a platform, if you
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will, for a dozen current governors who could be potentially testing the waters for perhaps some day auditioning to do a state of the union address. we will be watching closely to see, for instance, what colorado's democratic governor john hickenlooper says about guns. scott walker, new mexico's susanna martinez. sam brownback. massachusetts deval patrick. south carolina's nikki haley. they will set the agendas for the coming year and perhaps have a little something to say about the national picture. for the end of the month, we will have heard from mike penns, rick perry as well. if you didn't think andrew cuomo was eyeing a 2016 bid after his speech yesterday, you probably do now. cuomoing who spent his first would years ovrs governing as a fiscal conservative, made a clear, clear move to the left. >> let them look at new york and say this is what you can do and this is what you should do!
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this is new york, the progressive capital! you show them how we lead! >> this is new york. progressive capital. is that mario or andrew? cuomo propose ad specific new gun policy that would enact what he called the toughest assault weapon ban in the nation, period. >> no one hunts with an assault rifle! no one needs ten bullets to kill a deer! and too many innocent people have died already! and t end the madness now. >> environmental groups applauded this line from cuomo on climate change. >> climate change is real. it is denial to say that this is each of these situations is a once in a lifetime. there have been -- there is a 100-year flood every two years now. the time to act is now.
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>> big line. cuomo marking the territory there on the left inside the democratic party. then there is virginia. last night in his state of the commonwealth address, governor bob mcdonnell defended his proposal to eliminate the gasoline tax. replace it with an increase in the sales tax to fund transportation projects. which has been panned by some conservatives including norquist. >> i know there are parts of the plan you will like and i know there are parts of the plan you won't like. we cannot let another session be lost as each member holds out for their view of the perfect plan. >> this issue on gas tax, it is a real issue that a lot of governors are going to have to deal with. it is a solution and some of them are all in search of. mcdon sell barred of course from the state's constitution from running for saek term. now that's virginia's unique rule against consecutive terms of governor. that didn't stop him from talking about future political campaigns. >> i know this is a campaign --
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of course if you live in virginia, every year is a campaign year. what we accomplish in this building for our people is so much more important than any political campaign. yours or mine. >> yours or mine. anyway, we will see when he heads to iowa or new hampshire. all right. up next, funny money. some serious people are suggesting we could mint our way out of a potential economic disaster. it all has to do with a platinum trillion dollar coin. an idea that's gaining currency. yes, the puns will not stop. will it actually work? we will see. first, before we go to break a look ahead at the president's schedule. 1:30 there. announcement of jack lew. no other announcements, we are told, are to be expected. what are you doing?
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this trillion dollar coin business? >> i would simply go back to what i said. the option here is for congress to do its job and pay its bills. >> do you believe have you this power to -- >> there is no plan b. will is month backup plan. >> this is an option, viable, unviable? >> i think the only option here there is month backup plan. the only option is for congress to do its job. >> will you totally rule it out? >> you can speculate about a lot of things four times a white house press secretary refused to rule out theed were of minting a trillion dollar coin. this is a proposal that has been gain something steam as a way to putt money in the treasury's pocket and potentially circumvent the looming fight over the debt ceiling.
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even better, apparently it is totally legal. thanks to a law co-authored by republican congressman cassel. it came at the request they wanted the treasury department to mint more affordable coins like these. the law did not set a limit on the value of those coins. it says, quote, the secretary may mint and issue platinum bouillon coins and proof platinum coins in quantities, denominations, and inscriptions as the secretary and secretary's discretion may prescribe from time to time. there it is. ben white, chief economic correspondent for politico. ben, let me start with you. look, both of you and tony, you tweet all the time almost sort of mocking the coin idea. i was -- honestly, asking the
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question a little bit of sort of a -- like okay, this isn't a real issue and then watch with sort of some shock when the white house didn't dismiss it out of hand. ben, were you surprised? >> i was a little bit surprised there wasn't more forceful denial this was a scheme they would ever consider doing. you could have just said no, we are not minting platinum coins with a trillion dollars to allow the treasury to pay its bills. you gave him multiple opportunities that spawn twitter blasts, posts. >> go to treasury, go to treasury. it does seem -- the real issue here is -- the reason why all of us kept asking the question is that if the white house says we are not negotiating on the debt ceiling, what's your plan bn. >> right. right. exactly. there's would plan bs. 14th amendment that could say look, it is -- unconstitutional the debt ceiling ruled that out and could have ruled out the platinum coin. which they didn't do. i don't think it means they would do it. i don't think they would ultimately do it. can't come to that. look like a banana republic if we have the executive branch
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printing trillion dollar coins, treasury to pit our bills p.m. rightly says congress has to raise the debt limit. in a vacuum it works. legally it works. in reality if we were to do it we would look like a laughingstock internationally. global markets would not like this. would look like we cannot deal with the fiscal situation. i think it would be a disaster. >> this is a calamity result of -- sort of counterproposal versus what some would argue would be just as horrible for the markets by not raising the debt ceiling. >> no question. there was a time in history before -- before i was -- at the white house, i was assistant secretary of the treasury. hi to deal with the battles all the time with congress and negotiating. seven debt ceiling raises. white was just sort of -- everyone understood it would get raised and it was a time to remind people how big the debt was and nobody really took it seriously, press release. it was useful for that. once people started taking it seriously and said we are going to think about not paying the debt it bill absurd and it is -- it is absurd and it needs to
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be -- needs to go away or congress just needs to understand that that's the only use of it. a coin isn't going to solve that problem. looking at a darn corners of the constitution will not solve that problem. >> what is -- you know, the problem -- that -- republicans seem to have is it the leadership sort of knows that they really shun be playing politics of the debt ceiling. but the rank and file, they don't want any part of that. they want to play politics. >> this is the problem. this is my problem with people who are spending a lot of time, smart people. friends of ours who are spending a lot of time talking about the kooky ideas. you ask the american people why the debt ceiling shun be raised, 60% say month. why should we have more debt? exactly. >> that's what they think. >> that's what they think it is. you know, some of that is reflected in the views and the -- in congress. there is a lot of education that needs to go on. it is not going to come up where we keep talking about these goofball ideas that ben is right which -- you know, make us the
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laughingstock of the global economy. >> makes a good point there. in that we are not talking about what the debt ceiling is. the debt ceiling is essentially -- limit on what the united states can borrow but only to pay what congress has already -- enacted, budgets have already gone through congress and appropriations. it is not authorizing new spending by the president. essentially we should be talking about what it is and why it needs to be raised and telling people we are not spending new money with raising the debt ceiling. congress already passed the bills, social security, military, stuff we spend money on. hit the debt limit without raising and cannot pay that stuff. prioritizing payments and pay 40% of what the government has to pay. lot of people will not get social security checks. that's what the debt ceiling is about. >> the politics of this, should -- you know, should republicans give up the debt ceiling? power of the debt reeling? there has been suggestion go get something big for it and -- permanent. >> that's my view on it. we immediate to find a way that will is a win-win for everybody on this. my peeling has been like -- you know, let's do a permanent fix
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on the debt ceiling because -- it is congress holding itself hostage on this. keeps coming back. >> the old -- blazing saddles. >> that's right. find something they can take, that -- maybe -- you know, even democrats can claim as a win also. let's look for a long-term fix my idea would be let's face chained cpi. it is absurd. the president supports this. in exchange for permanent lifting of the debt ceiling. >> i want to ask you this was something in the op-ed today -- my apologies for missing who wrote it. it was about the coin and said that's an absurd proposal but if the debt ceiling doesn't get raised temporarily, it is better off if the government issues ious essentially. >> yeah. it is essentially what we would be doing. i mean -- you know, you call it whatever you want. it is essentially the trillion dollar coin would be an accounting fix. it would be -- temporary transfer of money from treasury
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to the federal reserve. we would pay our bills on time until the debt ceiling gets raised. then coin would go back to treasury and get melted down and would actually be no new money in the system. in the abstract stuff like this makes sense. as a way to get past the debt ceiling. in terms of how we actually govern ourselves and future and reaction in the markets, it is just not a viable solution. the only solution is for congress to raise the debt ceiling and pay for stuff that already said it would pay for. >> more importantly, who will be on the -- on the coin? that's what we -- >> i think tony should be. >> someone suggested maybe make it $1000 billion coins. whoever racked up the 10 highest debts of any president or something like that. >> can we put rg3 on there? >> or maybe dr. james andrews. ben white from politico. tony, veteran of the bush years. thank you very much. up next, clintons versus the tea party. we have new poll numbers in the virginia of good's race. plus, afghan president karzai heads to the pentagon within the
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hour, we will tell you what he didn't say on capitol hill. who was the last former presidential no, ma'am me to later serve in the cabinet? [ male announcer ] this is sheldon, whose long dy setting up the news starts with arthritis pain and a choice. take tylenol or take aleve, the #1 recommended pain reliever by orthopedic doctors. just two aleve can keep pain away all day. back to the news.
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of the u.s. and afghanistan. before the meeting, nbc's mike viqueira asked him about security in his country post-20 post-2014. >> i was told by the organizer of the senate to keep quiet. >> thank you, everybody. >> admitted he was told he was not allowed to speak to reporters. new quinnipiac poll in virginia, close race for governor. the two are practically tide with mcauliffe at 40%. cuccinelli tied at 34%. bolling dropped out of the race important the republican nomination in late november. he has been the exploring the option of running as an independent candidate.
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continues not to rule that idea out. finally, the nationwide outbreak of the flu has taken a dangerous turn. in boston, it is so bad the mayor declared a public health emergency after reporting power deaths and over 700 cases. the cdc reported this is the worst flu outbreak in the -- the united states has seen in the last decade overall, virus has been reported in 41 states with 29 of those states reporting high or severe levels. some hospitals are seeing such a high number of flu patients, that they can barely handle treating everyone. doctors say among some of the best ways to protect yourself are, guess what, getting a flu shot. avoiding anyone that's sneezing and coughing and to wash your hands regularly. up next, repeating history -- the fight over guns. we will take a deep dive into the successes and failures of the 1994 battle to get the assault weapons ban put into place. what president obama can learn from bill clinton back then. watching "the daily run-down" only on msnbc.
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legislative rangeling, powerful lobbying, political payback. that was the fight over gun control. and it has a little bit of everything this time. the fact is we have seen this movie before. today deep dive into the political battle that played out back in 1994. it is a year that saw the passage of the first ever assault weapons ban and it ended with democrats taking one of their worst political losses in decades. despite public support for gun control president clinton recognized that an assault weapons ban on its own stood little chance in congress. so he pitched it as part after larger crime bill. help for police and common sense. in his state of the union in 1994 he went out of his way to tell gun owners he wanted their help, not their opposition. >> i want to ask the sportsmen
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and others who lawfully own guns to join news this campaign to reduce gun violence. i say to you, i know you didn't create this problem. but we need your help to solve it. >> national rifle association, though, campaigned hard against the president's crime bill. and encouraged gun owners to pressure their representatives to vote no. future nra president at the time, charlton heston, said the effort was an attack on law-abiding americans. >> i'm amazed at -- as was true in the civil rights struggle in the '60s, how much deception, how much deliberate misstatement of reality is taking place in this debate. >> president clinton campaigned tirelessly for the crime bill and often surrounded by police officers who argued they were being outgunned by criminals. the white house added funds to build prisons and put more cops on the streets and ordered to draw more republican votes. even so it was political tightrope. and democrats knew it. though the ban barely survived
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contentious vote in the house. ultimately passing by just a two-vote martin. 216-the 214. one of the narrowist legislative victories in history. once attached to the larger crime bill the whole thing went back to congress in the fall of '1994. in his book "my life," former president clinton remembered a direct appeal from democrats. just before the house vote on the crime bill, speaker tom foley and majority leader dick gephardt made a last-ditch appeal to remove the assault weapons ban from the bill. they said that if we made them walk the plank on the assault weapons ban, the overall bill might not pass and that if it did, many democrats who voted for it would not survive the election in november. their concerns turned out to be justified. 54 democrats including speaker foley himself lost their seats that november in the so-called republican revolution of that year. in part by pro-gun voters mobilized by the national rifle association. michigan congressman john dingle was one of the democrats
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that survived the 1994 election despite having to quit the nra to vote for the crime bill. joining me is the congressman's wife, debbie. democratic strategist, leading figure in michigan political circles and following the gun debate very closely. debbie, happy new year. good to see you. >> happy new year, chuck. good to see you. it is a subject that's very complicated. >> yes. and -- i want to pull an op-ed that was -- you wrote here. you wrote this last month. you said demonizing the nra or gun owners in general gets us nowhere. appreciate round of proposals will not work. we need to knowledge we have social problems and get at the root causes. mental illness, failing educational systems, lack of job opportunities, disintegration of family. what i found interesting there, debbie was one could argue, though, that's what bill clinton attempted to do -- put tonight similar terms in '94.
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at the time that was about more cops on the street, other issues surrounding the gun violence debate back then. but it was the same thing. trying to go big. try to go comprehensive. >> well, that's right. i mean, i will -- as you know, chuck, you and i are both around back in those days and it was one -- really came down to one saturday night where it was going to go either way. members negotiated all night. it was -- assault weapon ban and also a number of issues related to magazines. and how a board member of the national nra was going to vote. president clinton, himself, was so personally involved in that evening, i think he probably talked to mr. dingell himself eight times during the course of that night. mr. dingell himself was in tears because he had such mixed feelings and very much a believer in the right to bear arms. in the end, i don't think the politics has changed. i think we are all horrified with you what we see on one of
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the gun -- guns terrify me. but i'm married -- come to understand and respect those that believe in the right to bear arms. for them it is as important for them as the freedom of speech and freedom of religion and the right to bear arms protects it. they are going to win politically if this is not handled differently. >> when you say handled differently -- so yesterday, let me -- didn't mean to talk over you there. let me -- >> no, that's okay. >> yesterday vice president biden almost seemed to acknowledge the -- what arguably is maybe impossible politics now on capitol hill on this issue. of trying to maybe re -- reinstate the assault weapons ban. when he spoke of executive action, was that a mistake by vice president biden? using that phrase? >> well, i dash i don't think it was a mistake. i think clearly there is executive action that can take place to take the mental health issues. we have how many law, hundreds, thousands of laws in place that, quite frankly, aren't being
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implemented or aren't being enforced. we aren't keeping the records that people are supposed to be -- keeping records on. we need to keep the guns out of people we already know shun have guns in their hands that with mental health issues. so that's something that -- should be there. to ban assault weapons is going to have to go to the congress and it is going to be a challenge to get something like that through. period. front and center. >> what would you -- what would be your recommendation to vice president biden today in talking with the nra? in trying to see if -- this always -- i will be honest, very skeptical and i feel as if the white house felt that they weren't -- did they do -- really want the nra there? >> maybe not. does the nra want throb? maybe not. but the white house had to invite him and nra had to say yes. is there a constructive conversation that can be had? >> well, i totally agree with that. with -- what you just said. this is politics that has to happen. and by the way, i think the vice president is starting to do some things, i have only seen tonight the last 24 hours. starting to reach out to members
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on both sides of the issue. he is going to meet with the gun task force in the house next monday. staff is meeting today to talk about both sides of the issue. and nra, if they are smart is going to understand that there are some very strong issues attached to this and how can they be a constructive player? i think that they both can help themselves if these discussions go well. i don't think that lapierre did a good job of helping himself in september and hurt himself in the mar across the country with a lot of people that are in the middle but in the end, it is not going to translate into votes banning assault weapons or magazines until you really get people saying what will make a difference? quite frankly, getting at some issues that get very complicated like how do you deal with mental health issues that protect individual rights? >> already. debbie dingell, wife of john dingell and also that spent a lot of time working on this
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issue. thanks for coming on this morning. good to see you. >> thanks, chuck. president obama's optics problem dwindling diversity in his cabinet? first, we know you want it, the white house soup of the day. something i don't think jack lew will be eating today. loaded potato. we know what he has for lunch every day, that cheese sandwich. check out the website. we are still looking for the soup recipes. maybe you should submit them. send in your favorite soups. excuse me, sir i'm gonna have to ask you to power down your little word game. i think your friends will understand. oh no, it's actually my geico app...see? ...i just uh paid my bill. did you really? from the plane? yeah, i can manage my policy, get roadside assistance, pretty much access geico 24/7. sounds a little too good to be true sir. i'll believe that when pigs fly. ok, did she seriously just say that?
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so i know how important that is. you paid...wow. hmmm. let's see if walmart can help you find the same look for less. okay. see? walmart has all these leading eyewear brands and styles. rockstar! really? yeah. oh, wow! oh, black frame looks good on you. yeah? you can get a complete pair starting at just -- $38. really?! and did you know that our glasses come with a free 12-month replacement guarantee? i didn't know walmart had all this. the price is impressive, the quality is too! come to walmart and see for yourself. find rollbacks on the contact lenses you want. like the acuvue oasys -- now $27.88. walmart. we are in the midst of the second term shuffling of the cabinet chairs. sometimes kit lead to an increase in the number of women appointed to high-level positions and then sometimes not. president george w. bush increased the number of women in his cabinet from 19% in his first term to 24% in second. bill clinton saw the percentage
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of women rise from 27% to 41%. with four midge or appointments so far complete and all four going to men, could the number of women and president obama's cab they actually decrease? joining me now for our thursday democratic strategist jahmal simmons from "the new york times" p, jackie collins. welcome all. congressman, i want to start with you. do you care being congressman still? >> former honorable would be just great. >> i never know anybody with congress with the low approval rating. i don't want that title. >> i deny it at every opportunity. >> i want to ask you about this issue of debt ceiling. will you make the debt ceiling folks no matter what it is -- a vote that is a negative? >> well, i don't know yet. i mean -- i don't think it is a debt ceiling debate. i think it is a data debate. republicans have a simple message, do we want more or less debt? we want less, they want more.
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i think that they have public opinion on their sides. it doesn't matter if they are not going to use the leverage. i'm not convinced well there are some republican leaders that argue dlin is a losing argument important the republicans. but government shutdown and funding the government is a better leverage pull. do you fall into that camp or not? >> well, i think they are linked. i think that's their leverage. >> you think that should link it? >> yes, i think they should. because -- otherwise, they have no leverage. and so -- i don't -- you know, what we are going to ad row indicate is responsible behavior and the trick that republicans have to do is to find responsible behavior and pass something that is good enough and exchange to raise the darlene. i think that that's what they have to do. do i think the public opinions on their sides and -- you know, it is irresponsible to use this as their leverage. what's more irresponsible? staying on the path of iran and add to deficit and debt? or just try to change the path and attain physical
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sustainability. which is what we have do. >> i want to go to this diversity thing. jackie, your newspaper that dropped this little -- what's inning to watch yesterday the article was fine. we just didn't like that picture. >> right. that picture had been circulating, e-mails, twitter, on the internet for some days before that. and i remember thinking we should use this somehow in the paper to illustrate a story. it was -- it was interesting in particular because i didn't even know until the -- picture ran in "the new york times" that the leg behind dan pfeiffer, communications director, is valerie jarrett's who is -- you know, one of easily the closest adviser. but this -- valerie jarrett, one of her jobs is to see that will is more women in the top ranks of the administration. can't even getter self in the picture.
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>> here's -- >> better use of photography. >> i understand that. the better question -- >> their photographer. >> you are a communications professional. >> they could do better. >> you are just wondering -- why wasn't there a second-term transition director, if will you? hi some people ask me that. supposedly they said why don't you have somebody that thanks about we are about to have four white guys in a row, maybe we ought to space out these announcement. >> this has been a problem for this team almost from the beginning. remember that picture in the campaign with all the staffers who were sitting around waiting. a big outcry from some of the mine or communities. they didn't see any people of cole for that photo of the staffers. were your now seeing that with this picture and the cabinet appointments. they have to do a better job of getting their message out about the people actually there. two women that -- chiefs of staff. valerie jarrett there and head of presidential personnel. state and local government directors. all these people inside the white house who are doing -- >> are they insiders? >> valerie jarrett.
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>> are some of the are some of other insider -- i can never get her name right, the deputy chief of staff, very powerful. >> an insider. >> chris, we've been watching republicans, they're sort of laughing at this going hey, you guys make a big deal of this during campaigns, but you got to eat your vegetables? >> well, we think economic policy is gender neutral, race neutral. is this isn't a distraction that we're going to spend a lot of time on. >> iensd that you're not. it's just sort of -- you know, it's one of these cases, democrats campaign on it so they're going to get stuck having to deal with it. >> if there's a smirk on republican faces it's understandable. >> but republicans don't have a lot to boast. >> this is a bipartisan problem. >> well, this is a pipeline issue. >> right. >> there's also this idea that there's a pipeline issue. particularly in the economic world where a lot of men -- >> i'll reject that.
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>> a pipeline issue, there are a lot of qualified people in the pipeline. you've got to go out and get them and when you get them, you've got to let people know they're there. i think they lose a lot of leverage in letting people know who's around the president and who is actually involved in the decision making. >> let's take a break. we've asked who are the last former presidential nominee to later serve in the cabinet. the answer is adelaide stevenson. appointed by president kennedy to be the united states ambassador to the united nations. democrats call it a position, republicans do not. a little asterisk on that. we'll be right back. the truth about mascara is... it clumps. introducing a revolutionary new mascara. clump crusher...crusher. 200% more volume. zero clumps. new clump crusher from easy, breezy, beautiful covergirl.
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jamal simmons, jackie calmes.
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and chris. chris, let me start with you, with the house republic caps, what about this idea that you can only control 33% of the policy part of this white house. can you accept 40% of what you want, rather than go to zero or 100%? >> well, this whole compromise argument, i think, is misleading because the compromise only matters where you start. are you going to start by growing government? or are you going to start by shrinking government? and the debate is always, well, let's compromise on how much we can grow government. so i think it's where you start more than whether you want to compromise or not. i think the fiscal conservatives some the house that can provide an opportunity for the vision of future. and that's their job. >> all right, jackie, white house chief of staff, an opening now not going to be announced today. two guys with different skillsets if you will. interesting that the president hasn't decided yet. >> no, there seems to be some concern that dennis mcdonough
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doesn't have a lot of experience. >> and political experience. >> and john klain with biden and gore. but no women. >> congratulations named ahead of the legal defense for the ncaacp. and takes office january 1st. >> jackie? >> i'm unprepared. >> economic conference, beautiful palm beach. >> how many presidential candidates are showing up there? >> none that i know. potentially mm, depends on who runs. >> we'll find marco rubio there. thank you, that's it for this edition of "the daily rundown." jackie will sweet hers. coming up, chris jansing, bye-bye. op ] you can do that all you want, i don't like v8 juice. [ male announcer ] how about v8 v-fusion. a full serving of vegetables, a full serving of fruit. but what you taste is the fruit.
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